Metal lath



2Y Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.; L

D. B. HILTON.

METAL LATE.

No. 551,766. Patented D60. 24,1895.

E 2 sheets-sheet 2.

(No Model.) D. B. HILTON.

METAL LATE.

Patented 1390.? 24, 1895.

UNITED STATES FATENT Ormea.

DAVSON B. HILTON,v OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

VIETAL LATH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,766, dated December 24, 1895.

Application filed July 16, 1895. Serial No. 556,186. (No model.)

To Cif/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, DAWSON B. HILTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Metal Laths, of which vbody to bend the flanges.

the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a metal lath so constructed that a given size of sheet metal will produce a lath of increased area without distorting, expanding or thinning out the metal. Thus the manufacture of the lath is greatly cheapened, while at the same time its weight is reduced and its strength is not impaired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure la is a diagram showing the lines of the cuts in the blank. Fig. l is a plan of my improved metal lath before it is spread. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan, partly in section, of the completed lath Fig. 4, a perspective view of the same looking at the bottom of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a plan of a modification.

My improved metal lath when completed is composed of longitudinal sections or strips CL, provided with laterally-projecting lugs or tongues CL/, the tongues of adjoining strips breaking line, Fig. These tongues CL of adjoining strips are connected by the flanged inclined sections or diagonal arms CL2, which have been drawn from a straight, into their inclined position by a lateral pull on the lath- In this way the width of the lath-body is greater than the width of the work-piece, and consequently a great saving of material is effected.

To produce my improved lath, I proceed as follows: A blank or work-piece A, Fig. l, is provided with parallel rows of longitudinal slits h, the slits in one row breaking line with those of the adjoining rows. The solid sections or tongues CL', remaining between the slits b, are severed at their sides by the transverse cuts b2, which, however, do not extend to the longitudinal slits of the next row. The punches that form the slits also upset the metal along the longitudinal lines b parallel to such slits, such an. upsetting action being rendered possible by the transverse slits. In this way depending flanges CL3 are formed along the edges of longitudinal and unbroken strips CL that connect the roots of the tongues CL. Depending iianges CL'l are also formed along the edges of the arms CL2 that connect the tips of such tongues. The transverse slits t? should be'of such alength as to cut through the first flange CL4, and also through the body of the'arms CL2, but not through the second flange CL4, which is left intact. The

work after leaving the punches is in the con dition illustrated in Figs. I and 2, where the longitudinal strips CL, tongues CL,'arms CL2, and flanges CL3 CL4 are clearly illustrated.

It will be noticed that by the process thus far described the joint between the arms CL2 and tongues CL has been considerably weakened, consisting only of one of the flanges CL4, while the other flange and the body of the arms are cut through. In this condition the work-piece is placed in a suitable stretchingmachine that. exerts a lateral pull on the samee., a pull at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the work-piece. This pull will at once produce a lateral distension of the lath-body, which is caused by a tilting of arms CL2 upon their junction with the tongues. During this action the joints between tongues and arms will open and the iiange CL4 at the end of the tongue in line with the opened joints will bend at both sides of the tongue.

In this way the arms CL2, which had hereto-- fore been parallel with the strips CL, will form a zigzag line, and consequently the width of the lath will be increased to an extent equal to the deflection of the arms from their straight position. After the lath has thus been distended the pull is discontinued and the lath is completed, Fig. 3. The lath thus formed will permanently retain its shape, because the flanges CL4, being bent and being sufliciently stiff, will retain their newly-acquired form.

It will be seen that the lateral pull on the lath-body while bending the flanges CL4V has not a tendency to tear such iianges, because the strain is exerted at right angles to the plane of such fianges. Thus the completed lath-body while widened is not unduly weakened, nor is the metal distorted at the joints. The flanges, `besides constituting the connecting-links between the tongued strips and the bent arms, have the additional function of serving as mortar-retaining projections.

IOO

an open-Work metal lath with flanged arms that have been turned sidewise so as to bend the flange and assume an inclined position with relation the axis of the lath.

What l claim isl. A metal lath composed of strips and inclined connecting arms having flanges that are bent at the junction With the strips, substantially as specified.

2. A metal lath composed of ton gued strips and inclined connecting arms having open joints and flanges that are bent in line with the open joints, substantially as specified.

3. A metal lath composed of ton gued strips and of inclined doubly ilanged arms connecting the strips, the body of the inclined arrns and one of the flanges being severed at the junction with the tongues, substantially as specified.

4. A metal latli composed of tongued strips, inclined and doubly flanged arms connecting the strips, one of the flanges being severed and the other flange being bent at the junction with the tongues, substantially as specified.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 13th day of July, A. D. 1895.

DA\VSON ll. HILTON.

\Vit1iesses:

F. v. BRIEsEN, WILLIAM SCHULZ. 

